Dika Nut (Irvingia gabonensis)

Family: Irvingiaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Irvingia gabonensis or commonly known as Dika Nut is a large, evergreen tree with a dense and compact canopy. It grows about 40 m in height with a straight bole of up to 100 cm in diameter and buttresses that can be up to 6 m high. It can be found in tropical Africa where it is highly-valued for multiple uses. One of which is the edible seeds used in soups and as a food flavoring.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Nuts/Seeds

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

flavouring. — Edible portion: Seeds, Fruit, Kernels, Leaves, Bark - drink.; In season, the fallen fruits are collected in the forest and stacked till the pulp has rotted away.; The nuts are opened and the cotyledons removed and dried.; These cotyledons are a common item of market produce and are used in soups and as a food flavouring.

Habitat & North American Range

Evergreen dense, moist, lowland rain-forest. (Zone 10)